The Who We Are update: Week 20

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

This week of the ratings blog is now history. For the latest discussion, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.
To discuss the psychological damage caused by Louie The Fly, go to The Tribal Mind.
To nominate the greatest Australian TV drama of all time, go to Who We Are.

What Australia watched, Saturday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SAT Seven 1,320,000 352,000 404,000 253,000 159,000 150,000
2 HALL OF FAME TRIBUTE MATCH Ten 1,317,000 112,000 676,000 101,000 204,000 225,000
3 AUSTRALIA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO SHOW Nine 1,160,000 368,000 353,000 203,000 117,000 119,000
4 NINE NEWS SATURDAY Nine 1,136,000 320,000 404,000 198,000 126,000 89,000
5 BED OF ROSES ABC 1,071,000 307,000 335,000 201,000 91,000 137,000
6 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Seven 951,000 277,000 283,000 209,000 91,000 91,000
7 ABC NEWS-SAT ABC 920,000 274,000 285,000 179,000 74,000 108,000
8 THE VICAR OF DIBLEY Seven 882,000 243,000 220,000 176,000 110,000 134,000
9 M-INDEPENDENCE DAY Seven 839,000 275,000 218,000 143,000 108,000 95,000
10 ABC NEWS UPDATE ABC 729,000 230,000 203,000 140,000 62,000 94,000
11 FAWLTY TOWERS Seven 727,000 209,000 204,000 161,000 77,000 77,000
12 GARDENING AUSTRALIA ABC 727,000 183,000 250,000 129,000 94,000 70,000
13 THE BILL ABC 707,000 215,000 194,000 142,000 54,000 103,000
Continued here

What Australia watched, Friday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,466,000 436,000 394,000 286,000 144,000 205,000
2 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,316,000 408,000 358,000 235,000 136,000 178,000
3 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,233,000 386,000 356,000 208,000 121,000 162,000
4 NINE'S FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Nine 1,176,000 504,000 248,000 355,000 69,000
5 MIDSOMER MURDERS RPT ABC 1,173,000 313,000 396,000 168,000 131,000 165,000
6 NINE NEWS Nine 1,142,000 316,000 341,000 246,000 134,000 105,000
7 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,073,000 308,000 321,000 240,000 121,000 82,000
8 ABC NEWS ABC 1,067,000 292,000 328,000 198,000 118,000 131,000
9 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,062,000 330,000 247,000 192,000 115,000 178,000
10 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,018,000 324,000 278,000 226,000 101,000 89,000
11 BIG BROTHER - FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE Ten 998,000 244,000 275,000 178,000 145,000 156,000
12 ABBA'S ALL TIME GREATEST HITS Seven 883,000 256,000 291,000 134,000 99,000 102,000
15 BIG BROTHER Ten 808,000 226,000 230,000 167,000 92,000 93,000
23 I'M A CELEBRITY...GET ME OUT OF HERE Ten 487,000 113,000 156,000 86,000 75,000 57,000
34 MY GOLDFISH IS EVIL-PM ABC 289,000 70,000 98,000 55,000 31,000 34,000

What Australia watched, Thursday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES-THU Nine 1,526,000 429,000 528,000 210,000 156,000 203,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,484,000 404,000 392,000 320,000 159,000 210,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,350,000 365,000 385,000 264,000 147,000 189,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,222,000 341,000 378,000 263,000 138,000 101,000
5 GETAWAY Nine 1,179,000 348,000 357,000 206,000 119,000 150,000
6 TRINNY & SUSANNAH UNDRESS THE NATION Seven 1,159,000 348,000 348,000 185,000 140,000 138,000
7 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Seven 1,147,000 306,000 313,000 244,000 117,000 168,000
8 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,128,000 315,000 303,000 247,000 124,000 138,000
9 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,122,000 309,000 388,000 223,000 110,000 93,000
10 ABC NEWS ABC 1,117,000 308,000 364,000 187,000 121,000 139,000
11 TWO AND A HALF MEN -RPT Nine 1,040,000 281,000 315,000 204,000 111,000 128,000
12 THAT '70S SHOW Seven 1,035,000 264,000 291,000 216,000 119,000 145,000
13 THE FOOTY SHOW Nine 1,001,000 224,000 459,000 122,000 105,000 91,000
14 GHOST WHISPERER Seven 985,000 289,000 247,000 206,000 118,000 124,000
15 LAW AND ORDER: SVU Ten 984,000 290,000 307,000 178,000 103,000 106,000
17 DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS THURS Ten 890,000 227,000 287,000 170,000 108,000 98,000
18 BIG BROTHER Ten 877,000 220,000 266,000 169,000 101,000 122,000
25 FRIENDS Ten 577,000 147,000 187,000 109,000 60,000 74,000
26 KILLER ICE ABC 540,000 180,000 152,000 84,000 53,000 71,000
28 LOST Seven 505,000 141,000 165,000 74,000 72,000 53,000
36 INSPECTOR REX (M) RPT SBS 326,000 101,000 110,000 64,000 30,000 21,000
37 STOCKINGER SBS 323,000 99,000 120,000 47,000 28,000 29,000

What Sydney watched, Wednesday
1 UNDERBELLY Nine 667,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 428,000
3 SEARCH & RESCUE Nine 427,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 399,000
5 NATIONAL NINE NEWS Nine 364,000
6 HOME AND AWAY Seven 349,000
7 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 347,000
8 BIG BROTHER - CROWDED HOUSE Ten 335,000
9 ABC NEWS ABC 329,000
10 UGLY BETTY Seven 327,000

What Melbourne watched, Wednesday
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 403,000
2 SEARCH & RESCUE Nine 402,000
3 ABC NEWS ABC 395,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 383,000
5 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 379,000
6 NINE NEWS Nine 377,000
7 HOME AND AWAY Seven 364,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 361,000
9 HELL'S KITCHEN -RPT Nine 350,000
10 BIG BROTHER - CROWDED HOUSE Ten 334,000

What Australia watched, Wednesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,547,000 428,000 403,000 287,000 187,000 242,000
2 SEARCH & RESCUE Nine 1,439,000 427,000 402,000 248,000 155,000 206,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,433,000 399,000 383,000 256,000 155,000 240,000
4 UNDERBELLY Nine 1,417,000 667,000 334,000 184,000 232,000
5 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,231,000 349,000 364,000 211,000 122,000 185,000
6 NINE NEWS Nine 1,208,000 364,000 377,000 247,000 129,000 91,000
7 ABC NEWS ABC 1,199,000 329,000 395,000 213,000 105,000 157,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,141,000 347,000 361,000 217,000 124,000 92,000
9 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,116,000 298,000 379,000 186,000 127,000 126,000
10 BIG BROTHER - CROWDED HOUSE Ten 1,098,000 335,000 334,000 195,000 107,000 128,000
11 FIRE 000 Nine 1,084,000 307,000 324,000 197,000 119,000 138,000
12 HELL'S KITCHEN -RPT Nine 1,076,000 313,000 350,000 142,000 124,000 147,000
15 UGLY BETTY Seven 1,028,000 327,000 282,000 173,000 112,000 134,000
18 HOUSE RPT Ten 913,000 245,000 274,000 178,000 107,000 110,000
19 M-INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM Seven 878,000 280,000 267,000 126,000 110,000 94,000
36 CANAL ROAD Nine 386,000 98,000 126,000 52,000 48,000 62,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Wednesday
Halfway through the ratings week and Nine looks unbeatable, with an average of 30 per cent of the prime time audience to Seven's 26 per cent and Ten's 23.3. Nine had a massive lead-in with the Logies, and since then, Ten has been stealing younger viewers from Seven.

Interestingly, Big Brother is doing reasonably well at 7pm (though still beaten by Home and Away), which suggests Corey Worthington may not be the turnoff that readers of this blog imagined.

What Australia watched, Tuesday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 NCIS Ten 1,567,000 413,000 435,000 329,000 196,000 193,000
2 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,521,000 427,000 378,000 290,000 185,000 240,000
3 BONDI RESCUE Ten 1,510,000 420,000 492,000 256,000 144,000 198,000
4 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,506,000 416,000 352,000 290,000 203,000 244,000
5 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES Nine 1,412,000 423,000 482,000 180,000 144,000 182,000
6 AUSTRALIA'S GOT TALENT Seven 1,373,000 383,000 378,000 258,000 170,000 185,000
7 NCIS RPT Ten 1,330,000 343,000 411,000 229,000 176,000 171,000
8 THE ALL NEW SIMPSONS Ten 1,289,000 304,000 453,000 246,000 132,000 155,000
9 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,243,000 363,000 314,000 248,000 142,000 175,000
10 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,202,000 347,000 356,000 194,000 135,000 170,000
11 NINE NEWS Nine 1,178,000 312,000 380,000 230,000 152,000 104,000
12 ABC NEWS ABC 1,166,000 312,000 359,000 239,000 108,000 148,000
13 20 TO 1 Nine 1,120,000 354,000 297,000 192,000 148,000 129,000
14 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,117,000 319,000 383,000 187,000 130,000 97,000
15 BIG BROTHER Ten 1,112,000 327,000 337,000 189,000 123,000 136,000
17 LADETTE TO LADY Nine 957,000 333,000 390,000 108,000 127,000
35 SUNRISE Seven 365,000 114,000 74,000 95,000 30,000 52,000
39 FIRST TUESDAY BOOK CLUB ABC 331,000 136,000 100,000 53,000 24,000 18,000
44 TODAY Nine 312,000 95,000 100,000 61,000 23,000 33,000
53 INSIDE HAMAS SBS 251,000 101,000 59,000 53,000 10,000 29,000

What Australia watched, Monday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS Seven 1,553,000 431,000 383,000 330,000 180,000 229,000
2 BORDER SECURITY (R) Seven 1,544,000 472,000 425,000 267,000 174,000 206,000
3 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,419,000 404,000 365,000 274,000 176,000 201,000
4 NINE NEWS Nine 1,333,000 342,000 445,000 267,000 173,000 106,000
5 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,291,000 411,000 426,000 181,000 133,000 140,000
6 SEA PATROL II - THE COUP Nine 1,288,000 389,000 332,000 237,000 161,000 169,000
7 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S - LIFE IN COLD BLOOD Nine 1,278,000 364,000 375,000 228,000 133,000 178,000
8 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,251,000 339,000 385,000 253,000 148,000 126,000
9 BIG BROTHER Ten 1,233,000 381,000 353,000 244,000 126,000 129,000
10 HOW TO LOOK GOOD NAKED Ten 1,227,000 360,000 418,000 236,000 117,000 95,000
11 SCU: SERIOUS CRASH UNIT Seven 1,222,000 329,000 362,000 217,000 156,000 159,000
16 GOOD NEWS WEEK Ten 955,000 275,000 326,000 152,000 95,000 107,000
23 BOSTON LEGAL Seven 837,000 258,000 329,000 96,000 95,000 59,000
28 BIG BROTHER - BIG MOUTH Ten 684,000 235,000 215,000 96,000 64,000 74,000
34 MYTHBUSTERS RPT SBS 399,000 92,000 124,000 85,000 53,000 45,000
37 SOUTH PARK SBS 350,000 74,000 139,000 61,000 43,000 33,000

The ratings race, updated 10 am Monday
To hold the attention of 1.5 million Australians for four hours in this age of telly-scepticism is no mean feat. So Nine is correct in counting Sunday's Logies broadcast as a triumph, even if it didn't reach the 2 million figure regularly achieved by the awards ceremony early this decade. It gave Nine 36 per cent of the prime time audience (Seven 22.9, Ten 20.4, ABC 15.9, SBS 4.9) -- which looks like an unbeatable start for the week.

The insertion of Corey Worthington did nothing to pull Big Brother out of its slump -- Sunday should be the biggest hight of the week, but an audience of 1.16 million for the "Gatecrasher" episode is just sad. It was even beaten by an ABC documentary about parrots.

Last week was characterised by fond farewells and lukewarm welcomes. Farewelling The Biggest Loser, in which contestant Sam Rouen, 20, shed 46 per cent of his body weight, Ten got the biggest audience of any series this year -- 1.89 million in the mainland capitals. This topped the 1.85 million who farewelled Ten's So You Think You Can Dance Australia on Sunday.

But only 1.51 million welcomed Big Brother on Monday -- the worst opening in the show's history, although better than the welcome afforded to Dannii Minogue and the two boobs on Tuesday, when Seven managed only 1.36 million for Australia's Got Talent. BB had small audiences during the week and only 1 million saw the smallest contestant, Rima, break her leg in the Friday night games.

While Seven and Ten battled for the younger viewers, Doc Martin kicked a goal for the ABC (1.51m for the season finale on Saturday night) and Nine continued its policy of panic programming -- giving any new show only two weeks to prove itself before replacing it with Golden Ramsay. Panic programming was pioneered three years ago by Channel Ten, which used The Simpsons to plug holes in its schedule. Nine may find Ramsay gets overcooked more quickly than the Springfield family. He served 1.53m viewers on Tuesday, 1.27m on Wednesday and 1.22m on Thursday, which does not necessarily confirm the law of diminishing returns.

Apart from the dancing, dieting and doctoring, the most watched shows of the week were Seven News Sunday 1.77 million and Border Security (7) 1.59 m. On pay TV, Australia's Next Top Model (Fox 8) attracted 255,000 while a Knights vs Titans rugby league match (Fox Sports 2) pulled 288,000.

Seven won the week with 27.1 per cent of the prime time audience, while Nine averaged 26.1 per cent, Ten 25.2, ABC 16.6 and SBS 5.1.

What Australia watched, Sunday
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 SEVEN NEWS - SUN Seven 1,586,000 463,000 540,000 346,000 237,000
2 LOGIE ARRIVALS Nine 1,570,000 511,000 521,000 257,000 131,000 149,000
3 LOGIE AWARDS Nine 1,502,000 454,000 549,000 215,000 138,000 145,000
4 60 MINUTES Nine 1,398,000 425,000 387,000 244,000 175,000 167,000
5 NINE NEWS SUN Nine 1,384,000 391,000 370,000 261,000 231,000 132,000
6 GLADIATORS Seven 1,276,000 327,000 436,000 218,000 154,000 141,000
7 AUSTRALIA: LAND OF PARROTS ABC 1,264,000 336,000 383,000 250,000 136,000 159,000
8 BIG BROTHER - GATECRASHER Ten 1,160,000 409,000 329,000 168,000 121,000 133,000
9 ABC NEWS-SUN ABC 1,111,000 284,000 368,000 202,000 130,000 127,000
10 GREY'S ANATOMY Seven 1,074,000 337,000 292,000 174,000 117,000 154,000
11 POLICE FILES - UNLOCKED Seven 998,000 260,000 300,000 169,000 125,000 145,000
12 ABC NEWS UPDATE ABC 938,000 281,000 265,000 155,000 101,000 135,000
13 MY NAME IS EARL Seven 938,000 267,000 269,000 150,000 130,000 123,000
14 BIG BROTHER SUN Ten 929,000 304,000 268,000 156,000 96,000 105,000
15 BROTHERS & SISTERS Seven 786,000 258,000 230,000 122,000 73,000 103,000
16 EAST OF EVERYTHING ABC 781,000 261,000 217,000 127,000 75,000 100,000
19 STAR WARS III - REVENGE OF THE SITH Ten 622,000 157,000 196,000 115,000 83,000 70,000
23 MERCURIO'S MENU Seven 481,000 261,000 106,000 115,000
25 NINE'S SUNDAY FOOTBALL Nine 456,000 266,000 174,000 16,000
26 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 7: MELBOURNE VS FREMANTLE Seven 455,000 9,000 261,000 13,000 172,000
28 GILMORE GIRLS Nine 354,000 95,000 122,000 35,000 46,000 56,000
29 THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR EXPERIMENT SBS 345,000 118,000 89,000 56,000 45,000 36,000
41 SEVEN'S AFL: RND 7: SYDNEY VS WESTERN BULLDOGS Seven 206,000 78,000 Not shown 51,000 77,000 Not shown
(OzTAM preliminary estimates, mainland capitals)

What Australia watched, week ending May 3
Description Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth
1 THE BIGGEST LOSER - FINALE Ten 1,896,000 516,000 607,000 347,000 213,000 212,000
2 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AUSTRALIA - WINNER ANNOUNCED Ten 1,877,000 572,000 557,000 329,000 205,000 214,000
3 SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AUSTRALIA - FINALE NIGHT Ten 1,832,000 562,000 534,000 342,000 178,000 216,000
4 SEVEN NEWS - SUNDAY Seven 1,774,000 502,000 454,000 365,000 193,000 261,000
5 BORDER SECURITY Seven 1,594,000 476,000 467,000 266,000 160,000 225,000
6 THE BIGGEST LOSER (AUS) - FINAL WEIGH-IN Ten 1,560,000 471,000 494,000 243,000 153,000 200,000
7 SEVEN NEWS - MONDAY-FRIDAY Seven 1,549,000 436,000 409,000 315,000 165,000 224,000
8 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES Nine 1,544,000 403,000 554,000 237,000 156,000 193,000
9 BIG BROTHER - LAUNCH SPECIAL Ten 1,511,000 486,000 435,000 276,000 162,000 151,000
10 DOC MARTIN ABC 1,507,000 448,000 409,000 328,000 155,000 168,000
11 NINE NEWS - SUNDAY Nine 1,505,000 450,000 470,000 265,000 190,000 130,000
12 60 MINUTES Nine 1,460,000 405,000 460,000 270,000 136,000 190,000
13 TODAY TONIGHT Seven 1,450,000 406,000 392,000 283,000 151,000 216,000
14 RSPCA ANIMAL RESCUE Seven 1,382,000 325,000 393,000 287,000 159,000 219,000
15 BONDI RESCUE Ten 1,375,000 408,000 424,000 237,000 156,000 150,000
16 GLADIATORS Seven 1,366,000 377,000 416,000 279,000 134,000 160,000
17 AUSTRALIA'S GOT TALENT Seven 1,358,000 342,000 410,000 245,000 169,000 191,000
18 UNDERBELLY Nine 1,339,000 662,000 268,000 170,000 240,000
19 THE REAL SEACHANGE Seven 1,318,000 330,000 397,000 252,000 146,000 193,000
20 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Seven 1,312,000 380,000 428,000 229,000 111,000 164,000
21 NCIS Ten 1,306,000 342,000 385,000 264,000 160,000 155,000
22 SEVEN NEWS - SATURDAY Seven 1,289,000 381,000 346,000 245,000 132,000 186,000
23 HELL'S KITCHEN Nine 1,286,000 403,000 394,000 186,000 145,000 158,000
24 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS Seven 1,284,000 423,000 369,000 254,000 125,000 114,000
25 CSI Nine 1,270,000 260,000 431,000 219,000 168,000 192,000
26 SEA PATROL II - THE COUP Nine 1,260,000 361,000 352,000 217,000 162,000 169,000
27 NCIS (R) Ten 1,252,000 299,000 401,000 217,000 169,000 166,000
28 ALL SAINTS Seven 1,251,000 340,000 384,000 229,000 129,000 169,000
29 TWO AND A HALF MEN Nine 1,230,000 329,000 383,000 246,000 135,000 138,000
30 RAMSAY'S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES - THURSDAY Nine 1,227,000 319,000 404,000 203,000 130,000 171,000
31 HOME AND AWAY Seven 1,219,000 364,000 320,000 239,000 122,000 174,000
32 NINE NEWS - MONDAY-FRIDAY Nine 1,214,000 319,000 374,000 267,000 144,000 110,000
33 POLICE FILES - UNLOCKED Seven 1,184,000 298,000 371,000 205,000 154,000 155,000
34 SCU: SERIOUS CRASH UNIT Seven 1,175,000 310,000 348,000 220,000 125,000 172,000
35 MIDSOMER MURDERS ABC 1,168,000 369,000 360,000 211,000 133,000 96,000
36 AUSTRALIAN STORY ABC 1,157,000 340,000 333,000 226,000 87,000 171,000
37 SPICKS AND SPECKS ABC 1,157,000 295,000 353,000 237,000 134,000 138,000
38 BIG BROTHER Ten 1,154,000 335,000 335,000 231,000 128,000 124,000
39 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH'S - LIFE IN COLD BLOOD Nine 1,145,000 321,000 324,000 215,000 135,000 150,000
40 A CURRENT AFFAIR Nine 1,135,000 304,000 366,000 238,000 127,000 101,000

What pay TV subscribers watched, week ending May 3
Non-Sporting programs
1 AUSTRALIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL FOX8 255,000
2 FAMILY GUY FOX8 217,000
3 FUTURAMA FOX8 213,000
4 SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA Lifestyle 169,000
5 THE SIMPSONS FOX8 163,000
Sporting programs
1 LIVE: NRL KNIGHTS V TITANS Fox Sports 2 288,000
2 LIVE: AFL HAWTHORN V RICHMOND Fox Sports 1 284,000
3 LIVE: NRL PANTHERS V EELS Fox Sports 2 256,000
(OzTAM national survey)

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). To discuss Australian attitudes, go to http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

I find it really difficult to believe that more people watched the Biggest Loser finale than the SYTYCDA finale. SYTYCD was such a HUGE hit, it was really popular around the old watercooler, whereas only a few people I knew watched Biggest Loser. Either lots of people just tune in to see the fat/thin comparisons rather than the whole Loser Journey - or the ratings system is a rort and it's not measuring trends accurately...

by Beckala on May 04, 2008 at 03:12 PM

Beckala think there was more competition for SYTYCD on sunday - grey's, east of eveything a csi or 2...whereas on thursday the offerings are a bit slimmer (no pun intended). I watched neither - was out to dinner thursday night and not a fan of SYTYCD... and the ratings as we all seem to agree on this blog do not always reflect the shows we watch (nor those of our friends and colleagues)- they are by the mythical people who think certain shows are worth their time - evidence Border Security, or Golden Ramsey as TM is calling him. By the way TM think you are right about him perhaps being overcooked from overexposure in the very near future.

It is sad to think the FTA networks give a show 2 weeks to perform then take it off - some we agree with (Monster House) others not so much - and I am concerned that Boston Legal will not survive its prime time peek... but as long as new eps stay in the schedule I will find it.... also happy Bones is coming back - a show that gets whipped off quickly no explaining - hopefully this time the prime time experiment lasts more than 2 weeks... the one thing we have to thank the US writers strike for is our networks having to bring on some of the quirkier shows earlier than usual. Not happy that Lost is going to a later time from this week... but it will allow me to play catch up with The State Within in the Trinny & Susannah time slot.

And for Robin Hood fans the BBC1 website for the show comfirms it will be back for the third season later this year - rumour has it that all the current cast have signed for the new season - not quite sure how that will work with at least one character who would need to be resurrected a la Buffy to continue...unless they go the Dallas way of it was all a dream!

by Cathy on May 04, 2008 at 10:56 PM

Notes on the Logies (viewed briefly in ad breaks from other shows that were actually watchable): Interesting how the heroes of this year's reality tv offerings, those crazy kids from SYTYCD ended up looking like all the glitter encrusted bowler hat wearing kitsch logie dancers from every year of the last 50. Everything Nine touches turns to crap. Speaking of which, the skit about Chas Liciardello being cavity searched, presented by a painfully smug Richard Dickie Wilkins was the least funny thing I think I've ever seen, but apparently someone over there thought it was funny enough to broadcast. All of Australia must have been splitting their sides laughing at that sour grapes lack of good humour attempt to get back at one of the most admired & viewed programmes of last year. Nine must've given up trying to poach The Chaser. Expect plenty of Richard Wilkins skits when The Chaser returns (people with very large heads & no talent shouldn't throw stones). Oh how I miss those Wednesday nights.

by darren on May 05, 2008 at 08:46 AM

Cathy @ 10.56pm : You say Bones is coming back?!?! When? I've not seen any promos and gave it up for gone until the end of the year.

by Nic on May 05, 2008 at 09:10 AM

Anyone see the cats bum face that golden boy Chris Lilley had on his face when he didn't win one of the awards he was nominated for (think it was the one Rove won). Admittedly I can't stand his work (SHH - just don't find it funny), but did I detect a slight diva attitude?
As for the cavity search skit. Dreadful. There was scant Chaser reference last night at all. They didn't present, for some reason Ding Dong and Patti (who did present) droned on, sure it's nostalgia, but they chooked on like, well, chooks.
And there was thankfully very little of Ian Thorpe and his hair "styles".

by Bereft Skerrick on May 05, 2008 at 10:17 AM

Due to medical advice I was unable to watch the Logies (distinct possibility of falling into a life-threatening coma) so I need help - why was Ian Thorpe and his hair at the Logies????

by Shoopie on May 05, 2008 at 11:11 AM

Only bit of the Logies I caught last night was one where the Umbilical Brothers summarised Kate Ritchie's (?) character's travails over the past x years of Home & Away. (I only know what they were on about because they cut to KR at the end. At least, I think it's KR, one soapie star is much the same as another to me.) Oh, and we did surf away very (very) quickly when there was one presentation with Darryl Somers, Dicky Knee, and Quacka. Was it just the acoustics of the auditorium, or was no one laughing in the live audience either? Appalling shite.

Yay for Robin Hood being over so I can watch My Name is Earl without clashes! Hurrah! A third season of RH will be keenly anticipated, especially if they do a Buffy and resurrect our dead character! Although I have no idea how they'd explain that plot twist.

Showed some of Season 1 RH to Mr Bear while we iced cupcakes for his little sister's 3rd birthday party yesterday, and he turned to me during some dialogue and asked "is this a boring bit?". He's only 5 and a half, so he's forgiven. Just.

Caught most of the last Star Wars movie last night (Revenge/Return of the Sith) until I realised I was just sitting there to bitch about how dreadful it all was. And that it went (dragged) on until midnight. So a relatively early night to bed with a good book. Hurrah for good books!

by tqd on May 05, 2008 at 11:25 AM

As per my email in last week's blog - i suspected Corey Worthington wouldnt help Big Brother - He isnt a celebrity ..... he's a kid who made a big mess in a street by having a party that even the police couldnt control.... Channel 10 you should be ashamed of giving this idiot airtime and celebrity status.....

by Randwick Geoff on May 05, 2008 at 11:43 AM

darren @ 8.46am: I miss Wednesday nights too! That cavity search was cringe-making...I was listening to KAK this morning (being sick, staying at home) and one of the people she was talking to thought that the Chaser had a say in it. I surely hope not.

by Kym on May 05, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Watched Episode III Star Wars last night. Anakin Skywalker is an airhead, and the actors range is limited to scowling and tilting his head down whilst looking upwards.
At least I know now what is being referred to when Master Nearly 7 is badgering me to playing Star Wars Lego on the PS2!
Awwww I loves me some Plucka Duck and Umbilical Bros.

by Bereft Skerrick on May 05, 2008 at 12:12 PM

Logies was down on previous years but that's what viewers of all award shows keep dropping every year. There were some good moments, particularly the SYTYCD intro, Kath and Kim, Mr G musical montage, Stauchnie and Umbilical Brothers but there were also some crngeworthy moments. Totally agree with Bereft Skerrick on that cavity search skit presented by Richard Wilkins. Disgusting and hardly suitable for family viewing. It was good that Ch 9 got rid of the blatant sponsorship promos during the arrivals special and finally after 50 years they had no overseas presenters. Shame they spoilt it by having a stupid interview with UK pop band Westlife which was unnecessary and irrelevant. The rest of the behind-the-scenes interviews by Hamish and Andy were good though. Didn't like the blatant plugs for Ch 9 shows either.

by J Bar on May 05, 2008 at 12:18 PM

hey can I get the Sydney V Bulldogs ratings on C7 in Sydney?
They took the Fox Feed, but I think it would give a fair indication of 7s AFL Sunday figure overall when added to the Melbourne V Freo game.
Thanks in advance :)

Tribal Mind replies: I've put it in the chart above, but you won't like it.

by ben on May 05, 2008 at 12:21 PM

ABC must be pleased that their Parrot doco rated pretty well last night. Just goes to show that people were desperate to watch anything rather than BB or the Logies. Not that I am bagging the Parrot show, it was actually quite good, nicely filmed and narrated adequately. And it rated higher than BB. Not surprising really. Most of those parrots have a higher IQ than the "galahs" in the BB house.
As for the Logies, I channel surfed a bit till GA was on but all I saw was the same boring, embarassing show they do every year. Is that the best they can do? What a joke!
And what was Sigrid Thornton wearing? That awful red dress looked like something she bought at St Vinnies left over from the
80s. Someone get that lady a Stylist!
Another Red Carpet comment, Jennifer Hawkins looked stunning in that gorgeous dress as did so many other ladies. I also loved Natalie Blair's dress. What do other bloggers think of our celebs fashion sense?
Not that I have any myself. My fav outfit are my flannel PJ'S!

by em on May 05, 2008 at 01:11 PM

About Big Brother,
I was flicking between that and Top Model on Foxtel on Tuesday night, and for a genre, the differences in quality and enjoyment were streets apart, and Top Model (as guilty pleasure T.V.) should be shown to Big Brother's producers as how entertaining Reality can be when it is done well.
P.S. Good ratings for a reasonably entertaining Logies. Big Brother last night got what it deserved. Putting Corey in there served no purpose.

by HooHoo on May 05, 2008 at 01:39 PM

I actually thought the fashion at the Logies beat the Oscars this year. I particularly liked Kat Stewart's dress - it was interesting, but I don't think many people could pull it off. Sybylla Budd's dress looked lovely and an honourable mention to Sophie Faulkiner's dress. Sigrid Thornton was simply shocking! I also disliked Jodi Gordon's dress and purse. Well, that's my two cents for today.

by Kym on May 05, 2008 at 02:24 PM

What no overseas presenters at the Logies! Why I think we are just about ready to become a republic at last.

by Neil on May 05, 2008 at 02:51 PM

by HooHoo: Corey in there served no purpose.
Well, two purposes :) First, money in his bank account is purpose 1... and secondly, the decision has you talking about it. I don't even watch the show & yet I know that Corey is a guest housemate...
Em - Sigrid's dress sense is the least of her worries. Her face just looks weird now..
Allow me one advertisement rant: To any advertisers reading this blog. I am a woman over a certain age & therefore your target market for face creams but please stop insulting my intelligence with face cream ads using flattering lighting, re-touch & soft focus lens. The latest two using Penelope Cruz & Andie MacDowell are by far the worst offenders. For me, your target market, it has the opposite effect... If the cream was any good - then the flattering trickery would not be needed... Here endth the rant :)

by Kate on May 05, 2008 at 04:12 PM

FANTASTIC to see Big Brother doing so poorly. Who was the genius who thought that people would actually tune in to see that little creep Worthington?
Meanwhile, it's not just Australian execs who are panicking about ratings. The producers of Ugly Betty are so worried about their ratings that they've just signed up Lindsay Lohan for a recurring role! She'll be in the season finale, then in at least 5 eps next season.

by Fielding on May 05, 2008 at 04:27 PM

The logies were alright but really needed a host. Dave Hughes as host would've been good. An opening monologue, then in small doses through out the night.

Tough audience - only a few got laughs.

by John on May 05, 2008 at 06:48 PM

The purpose of Corey being on BB? He's locked up and we all know where he is, so normal people can roam free for a few wonderful days without the chance of running into him. Perhaps they should lock Dave Hughes up in the BB House as well.

by Bereft Skerrick on May 05, 2008 at 07:55 PM

Do you know what the ratings were in Adelaide for the Port Adelaide vs Essendon game on Sunday? It was the Foxtel game and Adelaide was the only market that got free-to-air coverage.

Tribal Mind replies: 176,000. What does that mean?

by John on May 05, 2008 at 09:30 PM

by Bereft Skerrick on May 05, 2008 at 07:55 PM
Great idea, Bereft, a "Celebrity" BB with Dave Hughes, Vyle, Tacky Ho, Dazza, Bert, Dick Wilkins, Karl, Kochie, etc .... lock them up and throw away the key. Broadcast the resulting bubblebath at midnight ....

by Shoopie on May 06, 2008 at 07:27 AM

Nic on May 05, 2008 at 09:10 AM asked when Bones was coming back -cpandilo on May 02 of last week's blog said:
BONES returns at 8.30pm Thursday, May 14 replacing GHOST WHISPERER which is gone due to poor ratings but will still air next Thursday at 8.30pm.
Mr or Ms Pandilo is an excellent source of programming variations so I believe this information to be correct - so Nic colour me happy....
Re the Logies did not watch but heard a "seart warmer" on Wil & Lemo yesterday talking about what they had to do - I think it would be more interesting to present awards to the seat warmers than to watch the Logies

by Cathy on May 06, 2008 at 09:40 AM

Saw an ad for Big Brother yesterday and now I know why Corey Worthington wears those huge sunglasses - he's incredibly ugly.

by Fielding on May 06, 2008 at 09:51 AM

TM, just wondering whether you had any opinion about ratings for 10's coverage of the IPL cricket series and whether their ratings would be viewed as a success for the money they paid...

Tribal Mind replies: I can't see why anybody would waste time watching any form of cricket, let alone Bollywood cricket. But even for fans, it has been a disaster. Channel Ten did their dough.

by NK on May 06, 2008 at 11:06 AM

Very happy to see Boston Legal back last night, and at the decent hour of 9.30ish! I have missed our dear friends at Crane Poole and Schmidt (I know there have been repeats but it's just not quite the same).

by LAH on May 06, 2008 at 11:09 AM

Quoth Bereft Skerrick on May 05, 2008 at 12:12 PM: "At least I know now what is being referred to when Master Nearly 7 is badgering me to playing Star Wars Lego on the PS2!
Awwww I loves me some Plucka Duck and Umbilical Bros."

Oh, our house is filled with Star Wars Lego too! And I'm constantly being asked questions over which spaceship is the fastest, or which baddie is the baddiest. So I did want to watch the Star Wars movie so I'd know some answers, but I just couldn't stomach it. (At least I didn't run into any Jar-Jar Binks, to be grateful for small mercies.)

And I didn't mean to imply that the Umbilical Bros weren't up to scratch, they were really rather good. It was Plucka that had me gobsmacked with its awfulness. Obviously we shall agree to differ on that point. :)

Couldn't stay up last night to watch Boston Legal. They finally put in on at a reasonable hour, and I'm trashed anyhow!

by tqd on May 06, 2008 at 01:05 PM

Despos beat 'Sea Patrol' again. Why doesn't Ch 9 move Sea Patrol back to Thursday nights to give it a bigger audience? Nice to see Boston Legal with much higher ratings than Dirty Sexy Money in that timeslot. It was an extended episode and with all the delays by Ch 7, it didn't actually finish until 11pm. So it might have better ratings next week if it actually screens between 9.30pm and 10.30pm.
'Big Brother, Big Mouth' is Big Rubbish. It must be axed with those ratings.

Tribal Mind remarks: Please don't encourage Nine to be even more unreliable. SP's figure of 1.2 million is pretty good in the current environment. And there just aren't that many permutations of Ramsay to fill the hole.

by J Bar on May 06, 2008 at 02:09 PM

Tribal Mind remarks: And there just aren't that many permutations of Ramsay to fill the hole.
The "cake" hole? Boom-tish.....
Well, there could be if any of the upcoming lawsuits resulting from the Ramsay shows are televised :o)

by Kate on May 06, 2008 at 06:41 PM

Poor George Clooney. To suffer an interview with Liz Hayes (43 Minutes) and then Dickie Wilkins (A Crapulent Affair) within a short span of time. Oh the humanity!
tqd: I was worried that BL was going to be on until 11:30pm, with a subsequent feeling of blerk the next morning, but it finished at 11:00pm. Mind, there then was an interesting doco about some wacky Amercians who think that every other human than the 70 in their cult is evil and going to Hell in a handbasket.

by Bereft Skerrick on May 06, 2008 at 06:47 PM

It's just a theory, but could it be that Corey-bashing is (although curiously satisfying) just feeding into the whole Corey-problem. He's just a dumb kid who would've disappeared instantly were it not for the marketting & media geniuses who've tried oh so hard to turn him into a pimply, skinny jeans wearing cash-cow. Max Markson and his like are the real morons here. As unlikely as it might sound, Big Brother last night had something almost interesting when (a) Corey chose to not have a hair straightener so that everyone could have chocolate & softdrink. A future UN peace ambassador in the making. And (b), one of the girls in the house actually gave him a good talking to and he (in his limited vocabulary of 'like' and 'sorta') agreed with her that he's being portrayed as something he's not. Yes he did something unbelievably stupid, but its the adults who've made something stupid profitable.

by darren on May 07, 2008 at 06:02 AM

Sorry about repeating myself people, just got a bit carried away with the back arrow and not sure it my first post worked.
Wish I could get excited by TV but am finding all a bit blah at the moment ... sigh...

Tribal M ind replies: Entirely my fault for allowing your comment to be published twice. I have now deleted one of your twins. Which will, of course, make this comment incomprehensible to new readers. So I will delete all this in 20 minutes.

by Shoopie on May 07, 2008 at 06:45 AM

Tuesdays is a massive night for Ten. I was a bit underwhelmed by the new episode ofThe Simpsons. Have a feeling that they must be close to running completely out of ideas now. NCIS is getting big ratings, even the repeat is doing amazingly well. Mistresses should have been replaced with Ghost Whisperer.

by J Bar on May 07, 2008 at 09:39 AM

Why did Ch 7 have to inject so many commercials throughout Boston Legal? Enjoyable episode anyway, and decided to hang around for Louis Theroux's Most Hated Family. They were definitely weird and detestable, but you got to feel sorry for the young ones. Saw bits of 20 to 1 and noticed I wasn't familiar where they got a lot of their scenes from. After watching a commercial, realised they were cross promoting (left, right and centre) that excruciating show Balls of Steel. A new low for Ch 9?

by Kym on May 07, 2008 at 09:52 AM

Interesting that the new ep of The Simpsons rated higher than BB. I , for one, would rather watch the dumb antics of Homer than the morons in the BB house.
As for the whole Corey/BB thing, well, in my humble opinion it is all the fault of the media . They made this kid a celebrity when in truth he is only a kid that had a party that got out of control. If I was his parents I would never have allowed him to enter BB and be subjected to more attention and humilation. I almost feel sorry for him. And his parents need to take a good, long look at themselves.
As for the producers of BB, I think they are a disgrace to put this kid in the house to begin with. I hope the ratings continue to fall and this is the last season of this awful show. It really is the lowest of the low.
And I totally forgot Boston Legal in the new time slot. Damn! I will have to write myself a big note for next week.

by em on May 07, 2008 at 09:57 AM

Just wondering, can anyone explain Wednesday nights to me? Ten are advertising a whole hour of Big Brother (like there's anything to see), followed by Rules of Engagement where last week they had Back to You. Are they seriously going to try alternating these two programes week to week when they were hardly holding an audience at all when they were on together every week? Seriously??? And all to make room for more BB which is barely a blip on the radar???? Nine's wierd but almost worthwhile decision to show three back to back episodes of Two & a Half Men (as has been mentioned) is now completely forgotten & replaced by Fire 000 & Search & Rescue. (???????). I seem to remember once upon a time you could set aside a weeknight to sit down & watch something you liked to watch & it would be on & you could watch it and like it. I'm sure that used to happen.

by darren on May 07, 2008 at 11:37 AM

I actually think that it was a good idea for Corey to go on Big Brother. I have watched since he went in and don't see how this would add to more humiliation, it actually shows that he is just like any other 17 yo, he is not the loud mouth know it all you that you would expect. It actually makes the media look bad rather that Corey, they are the ones that made a mountain out of a molehill, as if he was the first ever to have a party that got out of hand. I can also understand why he wanted to go on BB (and why his parents allowed it) as people will get to see the real him, not the Corey the media have portrayed. I know…… I know why do I watch this stupid show, well I have a bit of a love hate relationship with it, as stupid as I know it can be, sometimes I cannot help but watch.

by Ness on May 07, 2008 at 12:57 PM

Hi TM,
Could you please tell me what was the ratings for Big Brother Big Mouth (the adults only show) that was on at 9.30pm Monday after Good News Week?

Tribal Mind replies: I've put it in the chart, above. It was beaten by Boston Legal. Thanks for reminding me about it and apologies for my slackness in not checking before. I ran into Tony Squires in a restaurant at lunchtime today, and was embarrassed to realise that I had failed to investigate the success of his show, and therefore was only able to talk about the performance of Vega (a radio station where he does the breakfast shift). If only I had read my blog comments before lunchtime, I'd have been able to report his comments on BB.

by taco on May 07, 2008 at 01:07 PM

Aaaaargh! Based on the comments above I will have missed the last 10 minutes of BL because, although I know to leave some time for run over, I did not keep taping until 11:00 pm. This means I will have missed the usual drinks, cigar and elegant conversation between Denny and Alan. Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!
I honestly wish that someone - maybe the Communications Authority - took all the free to air channels to Court for false and misleading representations because they continually over-run programs.

by ozpuck on May 07, 2008 at 01:12 PM

Quoth Bereft Skerrick on May 06, 2008 at 06:47 PM: "Mind, there then was an interesting doco about some wacky Amercians who think that every other human than the 70 in their cult is evil and going to Hell in a handbasket."
Ah, I got Mr TQD (who was awake enough to stay up during BL) to hit record for me when that started. They do sound fascinating, in a horrible sort of way.
Thanks Mr Dale for the First Tuesday ratings! I recorded it for later watching because I only had a couple of hundred pages left on "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" to read, and it was their featured book. Didn't want any book spoilers!

by tqd on May 07, 2008 at 01:37 PM

I've just noticed in my tv guide that there is a show on tonight (Wednesday) at 10pm on SBS called "Salam Cafe" that is described as a "current affairs sketch show by Australian Muslim comedians".
If I can remember to do so I might have a peek as to what that is about.

by taco on May 07, 2008 at 02:55 PM

Quite simply, ugly betty flopped because few people knew about it. Even I as a fan forgot it was on wednesday night!

Seven needs to do a bit more promotion on ugly betty, unless of course they've lost hope in it (like Lost).

by arthur on May 08, 2008 at 09:41 AM

Never thought Iï¿½d say this but I hope Seven bombs badly tonight with the Trinny and Susannah show. How could they move my beloved Lost to such a late timeslot, a show that basically helped to rebuild the network. Seven should have never moved Lost from the Thurs 8.30 timeslot.

by Helena on May 08, 2008 at 09:55 AM

For ozpuck who thinks they missed the last 10 minutes of Boston Legal there is a great website that has transcripts of epsiodes so although you may not see the images there is enough detail to get image in your head!
http://boston-legal.org/episodes.shtml

I highly recommend it as it is where it got the transcript for Alan's rant on Scientology a few years back - still makes me giggle to think of it.

by cathy on May 08, 2008 at 10:35 AM

Re: taco on May 07, 2008 at 02:55 PM

I am guessing that they did not feature any cartoons of Muhammid and other crazy yet assorted skits??

Comedy for some, I guess!

by Craig Burden on May 08, 2008 at 10:38 AM

Hey TM,
How did Canal Road go in its 10:30pm slot last night? Looks like Nine went for quantity, not necessarily quality with new shows this year.
Thanks.

TM replies: In the chart now. Thanks for the reminder.

by Ryan on May 08, 2008 at 11:20 AM

Any idea why there was such a massive difference between the figures for Fire 000 & Search and Rescue?
I watched both but actually enjoyed Fire 000 more. Was there something else that was more interesting on? UB & BB i wouldnt class as more interestin?

by JM on May 08, 2008 at 05:27 PM

With Ugly Betty season 2, Seven took too long to screen it. Season 3 should be better, because instead of pretending to be in New York in Los Angeles as the show has been doing,the production is moving back to New York city. Only the show's first episode was filmed there,then it moved to L.A.
An Underbelly prequel series would be interesting and worthwhile if it covered Melbourne's crime scene from the 1970's up to the late 1980's,but that'd require a whole new cast and for exteriors,would prove expensive to make. I'm guessing Nine want to use the same actors and characters, which will make for a far less interesting and less successful 2nd season. As the Underbelly premise doesn't have to be exclusive to Melbourne, it'd be cool seeing an Underbelly treatment of the NSW Griffith Mafia / Donald McKay murder /
Mr. Asia drug syndicate / Nugan Hand crime stories.

by Burt on May 09, 2008 at 02:26 AM

Oh dear, things aren't looking too good for Big Bogan ... let's have a pity party!!!
TM - didn't anyone watch The State Within on ABC1? I am really enjoying it even if Cagney/Lacey is slightly OTT. Last time I saw her she was playing Michael's mother on Queer as Folk - wish SBS would bring that back ...

by Shoopie on May 09, 2008 at 04:30 PM

Big brother .... sinking sinking sinking ......

by Randwick Geoff on May 09, 2008 at 04:46 PM

Where is everyone ..... hello??? Am I the only one without a life???

Tribal Mind replies: They are all expressing their vies on comedy in the other blog, as you should be

by Shoopie on May 10, 2008 at 02:13 PM

Andrew Demetriou says that the Saturday sort of State of Origin game was "a-one off"; the TV ratings however tell another story.
Ten will be wrapped with those figures. A game that was essentially a freebee in the $780million rights deal.

by Ryano on May 11, 2008 at 04:21 PM

Thought Bed of Roses wasn't too bad except for the title song that if I ever hear again I will put out my own eardrums.

by Shoopie on May 11, 2008 at 06:27 PM

Having missed it in its brief time in primetime, I caught a bit of My Kid's A Star yesterday at lunchtime on Nine. No wonder it failed, truly woeful.
TM, how did it rate? Pathetically I'm assuming.

Tribal Mind replies: 90,000, but it wasn't shown in Adelaide or Perth, and no show does well at that time on a Saturday.

by Steve on May 11, 2008 at 08:58 PM

Didnt mind Bed of Roses at all. Adequate viewing for Sat. night. Just an all round nice show.

Anyone know when ABC is going to show the new series of Dr Who? I am hoping after Bed of Roses is over.

by em on May 12, 2008 at 08:25 AM

Shoopie wrote:Where is everyone ..... hello??? Am I the only one without a life???
No just skipping tv in favour of DVDs for a little while.

by Cat on May 12, 2008 at 09:07 AM

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